Category Youthmark Stuff

Those Who Have Kids or Work With Youth

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Next Saturday, October 10, 2009 I will be speaking at an event hosted by Family Academy.

EXPOSED is the name of the event is geared for parents, youth workers, teachers and even students who want to be educated on the technologies our teens are dealing with and the potential dangers, snares and positives these technologies may produce.

Take a look at their website and click on the flyer on the right to get all the information.  I’d be excited to see you at the event.  It’s an honor to be asked to speak!

Grace,

Brian

Similar Conversations

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

A Call To Christians…

Pretty exciting stuff happening in the lives of believers here, at least this is what I am sensing.  I’m so hopeful that we will continue to see believers step up in their pursuit of sharing Christ with those who do not know Jesus as Lord.  For too long we have thought that missions means “over there.”  The way I read Acts 1:8 is that “mission” means “everywhere” (our immediate area, those that are different within our area, just outside our immediate area and then all across the land–that’s my interpretation of “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth).

Greg Stier (President of Dare 2 Share) and I just exchanged a couple emails along these lines and I am happy to see he commented on my last post.  I did the same on his blog (gregstier.org) under a post by Greg.  Go check it out and comment on his blog here.

If you don’t feel a heart for the unsaved,  if you don’t sense a calling to your neighborhood/coffee shop/school/workplace, if you’re not moved to share your faith with those who don’t know Jesus, then I will say something quite bold–You may not know Jesus. Please don’t just blow over those words, read them, contemplate them, take them before the Lord and consider.

I’m proud to read some the emails and FB messages a number of you have given me along the lines of your “relaunch” into your mission field (campus, club and community). Keep it up for His glory!  Prayer, care and share!

The more you pray for the lost, the more you care for them and the more you want to share with them.  Start with prayer.  Witness what Jesus did with His message and how He got it out (by word & deed, not just deed).  Look at the Apostles, see how Peter was the first to step out in faith after Jesus ascended in Acts 1. In Acts 2, 3, 4, etc. we see the Disciples begin to actively share (in word and deed, not just deed) Here we are 2000 years later–it’s time for every Believer to “step up” and pray, care and share.

Amen?

Amen!

Grace,
Brian

One Is Silver & The Other Gold

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Do you remember the old song?  “Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold”  The question, which one is which?

The last two weeks have been “silver and gold” weeks for me.  One in which I was able to hang with some great friends from my past while at the same time I have been able to meet some great folk who will most likely play a role in my future (as friends and ministry partners).

A few of the relational highlights:

Some of my new & old "national" Youth Ministry friends

Some of my new & old "national" Youth Ministry friends

Reunions: Over the last couple weeks I have been able to get back together with many friends in the northwest, many of whom are in networks of youth pastors I meet with.  Like today, I was able to grab lunch with Nathan and Eric (guys who both served with me as an Apprentice, when I was youth pastoring); or yesterday, having coffee with Aaron, after two different network meetings with people like Jeremy, Serena, Nick and Brian.  And just two days ago, I had lunch with Wescott.

Mike, speaking at Lake Retreat

Mike, speaking at Lake Retreat

In addition to the networking reunions, over the last couple weeks I have been blessed by reunions with friends from outside of the immediate area.  Two weeks ago I got to spend the greater part of two days with Jeramy outside of San Diego.  Any opportunity to spend time with a best friend is awesome.  Then last week in Georgia I was able to grab time with friends like Bo Boshers and my mentor Barry St. Clair (and then later Roger Palmer, who is a friend who works with Barry).  And then this last weekend I spoke for friend Nate Lindseth while also enjoying time with friend (and former Laker I might add), Mike Penberthy at Lake Retreat with another friend who works at the camp, Eric Sivertson.

New: As I said, one is silver and the other’s gold, but which is which?  I think the Lord has brought me into contact with some new “gold” (or at minimum, silver) over these last few weeks as well.  How God will use these people to shape me as  man of God and our ministry, is yet to be seen, but I get excited about new friendships with the likes of T. Ray, Brian, Bubba, Mike, Alon and a few more!  Whew, good stuff.

surrounded by Gold

surrounded by Gold

Now it’s nice to be home with my biggest gems, my family, and worship together our most treasured friend, Jesus.

I count it a privilege to lift up my friends (and family) in prayer.  It is nice to know we are supported by many friends lifting us up in prayer as well.  I look forward to reunions with you who are my friends and I look forward to the many new friends God will provide in the future!

Grace,
Brian

Where Have You Been?

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

I have not had the opportunity to post the last couple days, but for good reason. A couple months ago I was honored to be invited to a mini-conference in Rome, Georgia. It would probably be better to say that I was invited to a conversation.

About 30 years ago a group of Youth Ministry leaders (a relatively new field of ministry at the time) gathered in Colorado Springs to discuss how Youth Ministry organizations could partner together to reach all students with the Gospel. Ministries such as Young Life, Youth For Christ and other Church/Parachurch organizations were represented. Out of this meeting an umbrella movement and later an organization was formed. The National Network of Youth Ministries.

Fast forward 28 years after the official beginning of the NNYM and many of these same original leaders are still apart of the conversation. Only their conversation lately has been asking the question, “what does the future of the NNYM look like and who will carry the torch?”

As I mentioned, I was honored to have been about one of 15 Youth Ministry leaders under the age of 40 invited to a roundtable discussion with the older leaders. All told, about eight or nine of the younger guys made it and another eight or nine currently on staff with NNYM made it with a third grouping of about six to eight who are associated with NNYM and currently leading major ministries.

The conversations were rich. I believe the current leadership is doing the right thing in asking the younger generation the important questions about their role as they look for the person who will eventually take the lead (founding President, Paul Fleischman is stepping down in the near future).

I’ll post more about this in the next day or two because I came back from this meeting so enthused about some of my conversations (at the table and away). I’ll also post about the retreat facility as well and about the blessing of being with the man I asked to mentor me through this process of moving from Youth Pastor to Youthmark.

Good stuff, now it is good to be home!

Grace,

Brian

When One Part Suffers…

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As part of our “Launch” this summer the participants of Youthmark Mission Ventures were invited to participate in an initiative game I created years ago called, “One Body Experience.”  In this activity the students are given handicaps (according to their strengths; in other words, we took away their strength) and then told to complete a task as a large group.  The task for this summer was to make their lunch for the road.

At the conclusion of the activity we would read together, 1 Corinthians 12.  This chapter of Scripture is very powerful, very descriptive and cuts to the core of how the body of Christ should work together.  It is so fitting that the following chapter deals with LOVE!

This post is not about summer missions.  It is not about Youthmark training.

This post is about the body and how if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it.

My friend Aaron Bauer’s mom, Jackie, is in need of a heart transplant.  She is from Bellingham and traveled over to Spokane for a consult.  She was admitted to the hospital as the specialist feared she would possible not even make the trip back.  She is scheduled for a difficult open-heart surgery on Thursday if she does not receive a new heart by then.  It is a difficult thing to pray, for a donor.  But if it is God’s will for the right donor (correct blood type, correct size, etc.) then may HE receive all the glory in the midst of a difficult circumstance.

One part of the body is suffering right now.  I pray that while we are weak, He will be strong.  That God would bless the surgeons in whatever the surgery is on Thursday.  That the Lord would comfort Aaron and his family and especially Paul (husband) and Jackie.

The family is looking for some short term housing options in Spokane as well, if you know of any, don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll get you in touch with Aaron.

If you’d like to pray more specifically for Jackie, click here.

Let’s be the body of Christ!

Grace,
Brian

The Latest Trip

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

I was down in Southern California for the last couple of days.

Quick catch up:

Flew in on Tuesday night headed straight up to my in-laws and was able to catch the last few innings of the Mariners game (loss) in Anaheim.  A great steak salad (thanks Karen).

Wednesday met with a CPA (something about having a company and needing to pay taxes on stuff, wasn’t really paying attention?… I kid of course).  Worked on the prospectus for Youthmark Mission Ventures (coming along nicely) and had dinner with even more in-laws (a fantastic dinner, great laughter with the nephew and nieces).

Thursday drove south to the greater San Diego area, had a morning coffee with the Youth Pastor from Pine Valley (looks like they’re doing a YMV next summer), lunch with best-bud Jeramy at the Spaghetti Factory, coffee with Josh from Emmanuel Faith (Youth Pastor who did a Gulf Coast mission this last year) then dinner with Jeramy and Jerusha and family.  Jeramy and I caught a late-night movie then too (I honestly can’t remember the last time I went to a movie).

Brian and Jeramy, 9.11.09

Brian and Jeramy, 9.11.09

Friday I had a very relaxing time with Jeramy, lots of catching up and spurring each other on.  We went out to a local coffee place, Escondido Joe’s, for  long coffee (sat outside) then lunch at Chili’s (gotta love the bottomless chili and salad).  I am thankful that God allowed this time for us to catch up.  Was truly a rich time.

I was planning on seeing Paco (aka Daniel) up at Biola, but he’s not feeling well (I didn’t want to bring sickness home to the kids) and I seized the opportunity to fly home early (flight scheduled for 8:45 PM, home at 11:30, instead got on a flight at 3:30 and was home by 6:00).  I made it to the airport with maybe 15 seconds to spare (no kidding). Was able to share Jesus on the flight with my seat neighbor.

Landed at 6:00, which was perfect timing–some friends of ours from Phoenix are in town and had called when I was deciding on if I should come home early, they asked if we could have dinner tonight.  So, JP and Andrea picked me up, we picked up Qdoba and we got home just as Elisabeth and the kids were coming home from soccer practice (Halle).

So stoked to be home early!

Great week. I have a lot to get done as a result, but we blessed by time with extended family, work relationships, friends and now being home with my family!

Grace,
Brian

Introducing: Story

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

In the next week or so I will post more about this, however, I am so excited I thought I’d just spill the beans now!  Over the last couple months I have been studying for and beginning work on the new Mission Prep Workbook.  As you may recall, last years MPWB was a guided study through the first five chapters (and beginning of the sixth) of Acts.  The title for last year was move: mission prep workbook.  Really, that title was a play on words.  Up through those first six chapters of Acts the Apostles/Disciples were in fact, not moving.  Though Jesus has given the command that we (Christians) will be His witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the world, the disciples remained in Jerusalem (and obedient to the Spirit in doing so).  So, I titled the book move because in many ways there was a lot of movement (the church growing from a few hundred to literally thousands).

So, as I began the studying for and writing of this years training and workbook I did not yet have the theme nailed down.  Then it hit me (in Hawaii of all places). The theme for the training packages for the 2010 Youthmark Mission Ventures is Story.

When you think of literature, movies or even a good bedtime story growing up–the key to those stories is often Character Development.  Well, the key to God’s Story being told in and through us is the Character Development of the individuals.  Many a book I have read I have been drawn to because the way the author has developed the main characters in his or her book.

Acts 6-13 focuses a lot on the character development of the main players in the foundation of the church and church missions.  So it is with us.  We will focus on character development and our ability to proclaim His story in and through our lives!

I’ll be able to debut the prospectus and some of the graphic design within the next week or so, until then, praise God for the theme that has me so excited and pray to God that His story of your character development would tell His story to others!

Grace,

Brian


Seattle Area Opportunity

Brian Aaby 2 Comments

For those of you in the greater Seattle (Western WA) area, I’d like to let you know of an opportunity.  I have been invited to be the keynote speaker/leader for a local seminar/conference taking place on October 10, 2009.  This event, EXPOSED, comes on the heels of an event Youthmark hosted almost two years ago, 360ºParenting.

You can click here to get more information about the event.  I’m already refining the research and am looking forward to this great event.  If you are a parent, leader of youth or even a young adult who would like to know more about the current trends in technology (dangers and advantages) then this should be a great opportunity for you.

SafariScreenSnapz017

SafariScreenSnapz018

Hope you can make it, it’d be awesome to see some familiar faces!  Spread the word!

Grace,
Brian

ReLAUNCH Pics

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

As I posted a couple days back, the ReLAUNCH event was a blast.  I got the pictures uploaded and I’ve posted them below.  If you haven’t seen the slide-show video it is posted a couple posts back (scroll down) or click here.

When all was said and done, we had about 175 people who up.  Great times of worship and story telling.  One student commented on my Facebook:

That night was amazing. Thank you so much for putting it on! It definitely helped me prepare for this mission field ahead of me.

Another said to me:

This got me so pumped to go back to school and share with my non-Christian friends.

And yet one other:

I went home and looked at all my non-Christian friends I have just on Facebook, I am going to be so much more intentional with them and build relationships with them so I can share Christ with them.

Thanks to all who came!

Grace,
Brian

ReLAUNCH ReVISITED

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Sunday night, August 30, 2009 marked the official ending of the 2009 YMV season.  What a year it has been.  I will be posting some pictures (just haven’t uploaded them yet), however, I had one person tell me that he “stopped counting at 160” and another said, “I counted more than 175 people at this thing.”

What a blessing it was to be together.  Please praise the Lord with me as we celebrate the thousands of lives touched through the YMV’s this year!  Please be in prayer for me right now as I am writing next years Prospectus.  My hope is to have this done this week!

If you are on Facebook, go to my page, or the Youthmark page (if you’re not yet, become a “fan” of Youthmark).  You can see the video we showed last night (with the same songs on it as we played last nigh).  Otherwise, click on the video below to see it with an updated soundtrack (because of copyright issues).

Appreciate your prayers for us!

Grace,
Brian